


Bases on Balls

by zinke



Category: West Wing
Genre: F/M, Friendship, Humor, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2007-06-17
Updated: 2007-06-17
Packaged: 2017-10-12 04:40:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 905
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/120914
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/zinke/pseuds/zinke
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"Hold on. No one told me his nickname was 'Wild Thing'. This has potential." Missing scene silliness for 'Inauguration: Over There'</p>
            </blockquote>





	Bases on Balls

**Author's Note:**

> Consider this my take on Josh's seemingly out of left field (pun totally intended) line to Donna in _Inauguration: Over There_ – "What did I say about speaking to me without addressing me as Wild Thing?" and an attempt to fuse two of my favorite entertainments: _The West Wing_ and baseball.
> 
> Thanks as always to caz963 for the beta and suggestions, and to my father for taking me to both my first baseball game and to that disastrous Game 6 at The Vet in 1993. Without him, I wouldn't have fallen in love with the sport (amongst other things). Happy Father's Day, Dad.

"You know why it took me so long to hit the window? My control was off." Josh paused and squinted as if to see the replay of the past ten minutes more clearly. "Velocity seemed okay, but everyone knows that means nothing if you haven't got command of your throw."

Danny's incredulous snort was clearly audible from the cab's front seat. "Yeah, you're a regular Ricky Vaughn there, Josh."

Josh's forehead crinkled in confusion as Donna, perched atop his lap, fought to suppress a giggle. "Who?"

Charlie tried to shoot Josh a disapproving look, but failed miserably when he turned his head and found his nose practically in the other man's ear. Shifting away as quickly as he could—much to the dismay of his other neighbor, Will—Charlie opted instead to follow Danny's lead. "Man, you really weren't kidding when you said you didn't get out much. Didn't you ever see _Major League_?"

"Wait…are you comparing me to that Phillies pitcher who tanked Game six of the '93 World Series?"

This time, Danny turned fully in his seat before commenting. "You remember Mitch Williams, a man who hasn't been heard from in almost a decade, but you can't remember a cinematic masterpiece like _Major League_?"

Popping an arm free from the press of bodies in the back seat, Charlie turned towards Josh as best he could and began to explain, "Rick Vaughn was a rookie—"

"Fresh out of the California Penal League," Danny tossed in with a snicker.

"—who comes in to pitch for the Cleveland Indians in the last inning of a play-off game against the Yankees. He struck out New York's best hitter with three straight heaters to end the inning and eventually win the game and the pennant."

Toby, who had been trying his best to ignore the conversation completely, muttered quietly under his breath, "Which is how you know it's a work of complete fiction; any member of the Indians pitching staff blanking a New York Yankee is statistically impossible."

Oblivious, Josh considered the information Charlie had conveyed for a moment. "Well that's certainly better than being compared to a guy who was run out of town because of a measly blown save."

"That cost his team the Series!" Danny exclaimed in frustration.

Will's eyes brightened slightly. "Are you a Philadelphia fan, then?"

Danny gave Will a strange look. "No. I'm a reporter. It's my job to make sure everyone has their facts straight."

Looking suitably chastised, Will sank back into the cab's cracked leather seat and tried his best to hide behind Charlie's shoulder.

"So," Josh asked, suddenly looking smug as his arms tightened possessively around Donna's waist, "does Vaughn also get the girl in this Hollywood fairy-tale of yours?"

Donna ducked her head to try to hide the flush of her cheeks as Josh drew her more securely into his lap. "Actually no. Tom Berenger's character does."

"Now I know you're all screwing with me," Josh dismissed as he shifted slightly in his seat.

"No, we're not!" Donna interjected, settling her arm more securely around Josh's shoulders as she relaxed against his chest. "Jake Taylor wins back his ex-girlfriend, and Rick 'Wild Thing' Vaughn gets to go down in history as the hero of the Cleveland Indians."

"Hold on. No one told me his nickname was 'Wild Thing'. This has potential—"

Both Donna and Charlie groaned.

"We're here!" Will interjected with barely restrained relief, throwing open the door before the cab had come to a complete stop.

"Thank God," Toby grumbled, reaching across Danny for the door handle and practically pushing the other man out of the car. "Let's go."

Once on his feet at the curb, Charlie gave a jaunty salute to the others before ambling back into the party. "I've got to go find Zoey and tell her about the coat thing. I'll catch you later."

Donna made a move to follow the rest, but stopped when Josh's grip on her waist tightened again. Without warning, she felt his breath, hot and seductive, against her ear. "I saved the day."

"No," she corrected, as she began to rub his knee absently. "You threw snowballs at my window and woke up the neighbors."

If possible, he leaned in even closer, his lips now brushing against her earlobe as he whispered, "I think you should call me 'Wild Thing' for the rest of the night."

"Only the rest of the night?" she teased breathlessly, suppressing a shiver that had little to do with the chilly air drifting in from the open car door.

Josh pulled back and met Donna's luminous gaze, his eyes never leaving hers as he felt a spark of electricity crackle in the air between them. But then she looked away, and with that the moment passed. "Consider tonight a trial-basis kind of thing. I'll let you know my final decision tomorrow morning."

"But Josh…he didn't get the girl, remember?"

"Ah, but the night is still young, and we've still got seven innings to go."

"Balls."

"Huh?"

Donna carefully stepped out of the cab into the crisp winter air, and pulled Josh's overcoat more tightly around her willowy frame. Turning, she bent slightly and smiled back at him, still sitting in silent astonishment in the back seat of the cab. "There are seven _Inaugural balls_ left. Now pay the man and let's get going before I end up missing this one entirely."

 

*fin.*


End file.
